


The Prince and the Photographer

by MsChievous (orphan_account)



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, But mostly fluff, But still kinda following canon?, Fluff, Gen, It's hard to explain, Somehow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-30
Updated: 2017-05-05
Packaged: 2018-10-25 23:12:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10774473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/MsChievous
Summary: Based on thistumblr postPrompto Argentum's first few days at Crown University turn the next month into a literal nightmare: A weird black-haired kid who apparently hates his photo being taken destroys Prompto's camera, threatening physical harm if they ever come across each other again.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all! I actually managed a decently fluffy fic! I mean, there's still some angst, but for me, it's pretty damn fluffy. Hope you enjoy!

Prompto Argentum stepped off the bus and looked up at the entranceway to Crown University with awe. He bit his lip and stepped forward, glancing at the map on his phone and trying to act like he belonged at a college but probably failing.

Where the hell was his dorm? He peered closer at the map, zooming in on the map key to look for the dormitory. He followed the path the map showed lead to his dormitory.. 

Though the campus was large and spacious, it had a dark, ethereal sort of beauty that one might expect from Lucis. He longed to take photos of it, but his duffel bag was starting to dig into his shoulder, so he hurried to his dorm to set his things down.

His room was almost painfully small, but it was only a single, so that was to be expected. To be fair, it was only slightly smaller than his room back home. He set down the duffel on his bed and sat down next to it. 

An ecstatic laugh bubbled over his lips and he jumped to his feet excitedly. He was really doing it. He was going to become a professional photographer. 

After a few minutes of sorting his things into their proper places (in which they would stay for approximately two hours before Prompto got tired of keeping his room neat), Prompto decided to explore his surroundings. Everything was so different from Niflheim. There, technology permeated into every structure and way of life. It was proud of its industrial nature and proudly displayed its technology at every opportunity. In Lucis, meanwhile, they seemed to like the gossamer beauty of magic over the solidity of technology. Prompto couldn’t complain, since he could get some beautiful pictures.

People were definitely friendlier here than in Niflheim. He counted at least two full-blown greetings, more than a few waves, and countless smiles and nods of acknowledgement. The attention almost made him feel uncomfortable, but he shrugged it off as politeness He passed a building that appeared to be a cafeteria. Outdoor seating was separated from the rest of campus by a waist-high stone wall. A student was hunched over a book, hand cupped around a mug of some hot beverage. An lacy umbrella cast shade over the table.

Prompto leaned over wall with a nervous, ‘Um, excuse me?’. The student glanced up with a sharp expression that almost made Prompto step back. “Um, hey, I know that this is, well, a little weird, but...um... can I get of photo of you?” He realized almost immediately how creepy that sounded and was about to apologize, but the student just shrugged and turned back to her book. 

“S-So, is that a yes?” Prompto asked uncertainly. The student gave him a thumbs up without even glancing up. Prompto brightened and shifted his stance to catch the best angle. When he finished, he held it out for the student to inspect. She glanced over quickly, went back to her book, paused, and looked over at the photo preview again with surprise. 

“Wow,” Her eyes were wide, “this is super cool! Thanks!” She said with a grin.

Prompto grinned back. “Thank  _ you _ for being a great subject!” 

“No problem!” she replied. She looked back at the preview of her photo on the back of the camera. She looked like she wanted to say something, but bit her lip. Prompto tried to ask what she was going to say, but cut himself off before he made a fool of himself. The student broke the cycle of awkwardness as she handed the camera back. “Yes, well, I should be getting ba-” she started

“Of course! O-of course! Sorry to bother you!” Prompto apologized quickly, snatching back his camera and hustling away. His heart beat in his ears as he prayed he didn’t just ruin that budding acquaintanceship. Who was he kidding, he probably wouldn’t be able to face her for a year. With blooming disappointment, he trudged away, towards a library that almost appeared to be made of the sky. 

He slid onto a bench just outside the building and looked through the pictures he had already taken. He was tempted to erase the picture of the student, but didn’t in case she wanted it. He sighed and let the camera fall into his lap. He  _ really _ needed to work on his people skills.

 

* * *

 

Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum hated attending public schools. He had done so since childhood, as had his ancestors before him, but it still  _ sucked _ . People were either overly friendly to him, or avoided him like the plague. His loner personality didn’t really help, but that wasn’t really his fault. 

He had managed to make it through high school without incident and had hoped that his father would reward his patience and allow his tutors to instruct him further. The tutors would probably be better than the teachers here anyway. 

But his father disagreed. If a king wasn’t willing to put his child through the public school system, why should he expect those beneath him to follow suit?

Noct understood where his father was coming from, not that he liked the idea much. He was perfectly content to study alone, but his teachers always seemed to love the idea of “buddy work”, with the idea that working collaboratively in small groups is the best way to learn. More than once he had been about to order the teacher to let him work alone, but the thought of the disappointed look on Iggy’s face usually gave him pause. If not Iggy’s disappointment, the thought of Gladiolus’ revenge during training would certainly stop him in his tracks.

He sighed, pulling a cap lower over his face in the slim hope that he wouldn’t be recognized. He couldn’t tell one way or the other, but he thought he heard whispers in his wake. He tried to make himself believe that it was a coincidence, but couldn’t. 

Not nearly quickly enough, he arrived at his dorm. It was absolutely tiny, probably a fourth or even a sixth of his bedroom back home. Iggy had arrived ahead and put everything away, so he didn’t have to worry about that. But it was so  _ small _ ! How could anyone be expected to live here? Where was the bathroom? The kitchen? The living room? The only furniture provided was a bed, a desk, a chair, and a closet with a dresser. He looked around in confusion, then inspected his walls for a hidden  door that might lead to the rest of his room.

Just as he was starting to inspect the last wall, the door swung open. Iggy stepped through carrying bags of groceries, followed by Gladiolus, who was heaving a miniature fridge on one giant shoulder.

“Hey.” He said shortly. “Where’s the rest of the room?” He asked as his two servants set down their loads. Iggy glanced around.

“This is all there is, Your Highness.” He replied.

“B-But there’s no room for anything!” Noct protested, “Isn’t there a bigger room?” He asked.

“Certainly, bu-”

“Then I want it.” Noct said. “Please?”

“Your Highness, I would have gotten you the larger one originally, but the larger ones room two people, so you would have to live with another person. I assumed that you wouldn’t want to do that, so I secured a single room for you.”

Noct tried to hide his disappointment. He knew Iggy was really trying to make him happy, but he didn’t know how well he could live in such a small room. “Oh. In that case, nevermind. I’ll make do.” He said in what he hoped was a more positive tone.

“Where do you want the fridge?” Gladiolus asked, holding the plug in one hand. 

Noctis waved a hand in a dismissive gesture. “Wherever it fits.” He said. “I don’t care.”

With a nod, Gladiolus and Ignis worked together to move the furniture around in the optimal space-saving arrangement.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto makes a big mistake that has massive repercussions.

Although his introduction to campus had been a little rockier than he anticipated, he was having so much fun in his  _ Elements of Photography _ class. For so long, he had been taking photos without much thought to what he was now being taught, but now he was starting to understand why some photos seemed to look better than others.. . He listened intently as the professor gave them their first assignment of the semester.

“Since we only managed to cover the element of contrast in-depth today, I want you to take at least three professional-quality photos that best embody that element. What that means is up to you.” 

With a nod, Prompto jotted the assignment down in his notebook, already imagining ways that he could work with the idea of contrast. There had been a few inspiring pictures in his textbook, and he was eager to start. 

He scouted out a few possibilities nearby, snapping a few pictures, but none of his photos quite spoke to him, so he deleted them. He ended up walking around campus, camera cradled uncertainly in his hands. He wondered if he just walked around enough, would the perfect picture just pop up in front of him? He entertained the idea wistfully but tossed it aside. 

Eventually, he found himself in front of the library he had thought was made out of sky. In reality, it was a magic metal that imitated the appearance of the sky, but it was still pretty cool. He wondered if he could incorporate it into his picture. Maybe a person in front of it? Or an object? 

He sighed and stared at the building face for perhaps too long. Before he realized, it was time for his next class, so he stuffed his camera in his bag and hurried off.

 

* * *

 

Class had been hell. His professor called roll, and the class went completely silent when his name was called before bursting into a quiet buzz of noise as people whispered, “Oh, my Six, it’s really him! I  _ told _ you!” to each other. His tablemate looked ready to faint. Part of Noctis wished he would so he could have the table to himself.

From then on, it was complete chaos. Their first activity was an icebreaker, Noctis’s worst enemy. It was a would you rather game, but it certainly didn’t work like one. Everyone tried to play it cool, but they were waiting for Noctis to move so they could side with the Crown Prince of Lucis and gain his friendship, like it was some sort of prize they could win. Eventually, he excused himself to the bathroom so the game could continue as usual.

He came back five minutes later to find that everyone had paired up for a partner activity. He was the only one without a group, so he chose the group that seemed the most aloof about his presence. Not to say they were completely uninterested, but at least they weren’t salivating at the mouth. He tried to speak as little as possible within the group, which was easy, since they were all nervously avoiding even looking at him.

Mercifully, the class ended soon after. He was up and out the door before the professor could even finish saying, “No homework”.

He didn’t stop walking until he was was tucked away in a small reflection garden. He perched on the edge of a white marble fountain and turned on his phone, praying for no one to find him for a while. Unfortunately, his solitude lasted a whopping fifteen seconds.

 

* * *

 

Once the class finished, Prompto set right back to finding a good photo spot homework. He noticed a small patch of green in one of the corners of the campus map and set off to find out what it was. As he neared the spot, he saw that it was a garden of some sorts, with nearly 6-foot hedges of ivory-colored bushes lining the outside. He ducked underneath an archway and continued forward. 

Cream-colored Lilies of the Valley and pure-white sylleblossoms were pushed against the outside walkway leading to a simple but beautiful white marble fountain. Prompto’s breath hitched in his throat as he caught sight of a dark-clad figure lounging on the edge of the fountain, tapping through his phone, not noticing the blond several yards away.

He had found the perfect picture. 

He was tempted to just snap a shot right now, but that seemed more than a little creepy, so he dismissed the idea just as quickly as he had thought of it. Instead, he swallowed his anxiety and shuffled forward. “Um, excuse me?” Prompto asked.

The dark-clothed figure looked up, locking eyes with Prompto. Prompto tried to convince himself that the hardness he saw there was only his anxiety rearing its ugly head and continued, “U-um, I-I well… This… might sound a little odd, um... and probably creepy, but, um…” He took a deep breath. “Can… Can I take your photo?” He held up his camera with a hopeful grin.

The figure, a boy about his age, stiffened, face contorting in anger. That  _ definitely _ had to be Prompto’s imagination. “Are you kidding me?” The figure demanded. Prompto took a step back. Nope. No, this boy was definitely angry at him.

“Uh, I-”

“This is the last straw!” The boy stood up, pushing Prompto back roughly. Before Prompto could stammer out an apology and run away, the other boy continued, “Your kind makes me sick! It’s not enough that you follow me around my home, around the city, but now you’ve come to my school?”

Prompto took another step back, “Wh-wh-what? No, I… I j-just wanted to check this place out. I...I’m sorry if I bothered you, I-”

“How many photos have you taken already?” The boy demanded. 

Feeling like the breath was being pummeled out of him, Prompto struggled for words. “N-none! I swear! Tha-”

Before Prompto could even complete his sentence, the boy ripped the camera from Prompto’s hand and threw it into the fountain. As if that wasn’t enough to make Prompto’s stomach drop, the boy pulled a sword from thin air and slammed the point home. 

He turned back to Prompto, still wielding the sword. He pointed the tip at the blond, who nearly tripped in his haste to get away from the sharp pointy thing. “If you  _ ever _ come near me again, this sword will be the last thing you  _ ever _ see.” The boy’s voice was low and dangerous as he stalked away, his sword dissipating into a glowing mist.

Prompto managed to hold himself together until he was sure the boy was gone. Then he sprung forward, tears welling up in his eyes as he pulled his destroyed camera out of the fountain. What the  _ hell _ had been that kid’s problem?! All he wanted was a stupid photo, and the kid could have said no! Damn him to hell!

He ran a hand through his hair, trying to think through the haze of tears and anger. He barely had enough money to eat, let alone repair his camera. He rubbed the tears away as best he could and got shakily to his feet. He could figure this out. He had to. At least, that’s what he told himself as he set off back towards his dorm room. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis cringes at his mistake and Prompto tries to fix his camera

Noctis stalked away, realizing with growing trepidation that he had just overreacted. Bad. No way that he could ever tell Ignis or Gladiolus what had just happened; they wouldn’t understand the stress he was under.

All of these damn reporters, just like everyone else, trying to see the side of the prince that no one else got to see. Well, maybe there wasn’t anything else to see. Everything that could be seen, had already  _ been _ seen. The time when he was five and got grounded for stealing treats from the kitchen, that had been on the front page, right under the headline article about peace with Niflheim. When he got grounded for sneaking out when he was seven (even though he had lied to take the blame off someone else), the newspapers predicted he would be a “rebel king” and “unruly”. When he was eight, he got badly injured in a daemon attack. His recovery had been carefully documented, with rumors ranging from he was faking it to he would never recover at all. His graduation from middle school had been half attended by reporters. His high school graduation had to ban reporters (but that didn’t stop most of them). He just wanted to be  _ free _ from them.

And then  _ this _ asshat comes up, asking for a picture. Then, when the picture’s done, he’ll ask for a backstory, just a little information. What’s his major? What classes are you taking this semester? Do you have a special someone? Does that special someone have a name? How are classes going? What are your plans for the future? 

The questions never ended, so he had to stop them before they even started. So, yeah. Maybe he had overreacted a little bit. It was his right. He was under massive amounts of pressure, and he just had an off day.

With a sigh, he returned to his dorm room. He noticed with surprise that Ignis had already cleaned up the mess Noctis had managed to make in a few hours. With a shrug, he deposited his backpack on the ground and shuffled over to his desk, where a black portfolio sat. He picked it up and read the post-it note. 

_ Noctis- _

_ If you have the time, please review this trade agreement with Niflheim. I will be over by the end of the day to discuss it with you. Your father will be meeting with Niflheim’s representatives in two weeks, so any insights you might have will be appreciated. _

__         - Ignis _ _

 

Noct sighed and collapsed on his bed that doubled as a couch. He flipped through the document to get a feel for how long it would take to read. Taking in the size of the document he groaned. It would take at least three hours to go through this, and to Iggy, "by the end of the day” meant “before dinner”. So he set to work.

The document was fairly uninteresting, focusing on import and export statistics, and other things that Noct was only now starting to wrap his head around. By the time Iggy knocked on his door, Noct was so engulfed with GDP’s and deficits, he felt like the numbers were all swirling together. 

“Iggy, you don’t know how good it is to see you. Please tell me you’re here to help me make sense of these numbers.” Noct practically begged.

Ignis pushed his glasses up his face, “I will help you with whatever you desire. You need only say the word.”

Noct felt a smile tugging the corner of his mouth, releasing all the pent-up stress and aggression he felt. “Well, then, I say “help”.”

 

* * *

 

Prompto placed the broken camera on the front counter of the IT help desk with a nervous grin. “I don’t suppose you can fix this?” He asked hopefully.

The man behind the counter looked at it curiously. “Wh-what  _ happened _ to it?” He asked, voice somewhere between awe and disbelief.

Prompto rubbed the back of his neck. “Um, someone threw it in a fountain, and… maybe…. Stabbed it… um, a little….” He trailed off towards the end. 

The man nodded slowly. “Well, the IT department only covers software and minor services such as battery replacements. U-Unfortunately, we do not cover water damage or, um,  _ stabbing _ . But I can direct you to stores that will be able to help.” He offered.

Prompto’s heart sunk. “Um, how much would you estimate this would cost to fix?” He asked. 

The man whistled. “Honestly, it might be cheaper to buy a new camera. It would cost at least… 50,000 gil?”

Just hearing the amount made Prompto feel sick. No way we could make that amount of money before the end of the semester unless he only ate berries and nuts from the garden and worked every waking hour and then some between now and then. Even then, between tuition and board, he almost needed to do that just to get by.

He nodded his thanks and gathered up his broken camera. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. Half of him blamed himself for being so forward. The other half blamed the vicious  kid who destroyed his camera for being an ass. Both halves boiled underneath the surface until he got to his room and they manifested with an angry kick to his dressers. 

The only effect that had was stubbing his toes, but it made him feel a  _ little _ less pissed, so it wasn’t entirely pointless. 

He still needed to finish his Elements project, so he grabbed a few things he had laying around and set out to find decent backdrops. Within a few hours, he had four half-decent photos that epitomized contrast fairly well. But they would be much better on a decent camera, not a low-quality phone camera. He cringed as he touched up the photos slightly and printed them out. They certainly weren’t professional quality, but hopefully his professor would understand.

 

* * *

 

“No, I understand, it’s just-” Noctis was stopped short by his father’s insistent query. “Not yet, but give it time!”

“You’ve had plenty of time to make friends, but you choose not to.” King Regis’ voice was calm and collected.

“I’ve got plenty of friends!” Noctis’ was not.

“Yes? Like who?”

“Like, like Iggy! And Gladio, and Iris, and Luna.”

“I suppose. But most of those people are your servants, and the last one is your fianceé. Hardly the widest variety of friends.” If Noctis didn’t know his father, he would say that the king was being sarcastic.

“I… I just don’t get along with people. They… they just don’t get it.” He replied, scuffing his shoe on the ground.

There was a pause on the other end as the King took a deep breath. “I understand, son. But perhaps you do not understand them as well?” 

Noctis was quiet as he considered his father’s words. “Hm, maybe.”

His father gave a quiet, breathy laugh, “Just take your time. Let people into your shell. Let yourself loose. But not too much.”

With a sigh, Noct nodded. “Very well, father. Goodbye.” He waited for his father to return the farewell, then hung up. He sighed and placed the phone on the desk. He understood his father, but socialization was exhausting.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto finally decides to go get help for his photography class. Meanwhile, Noctis goes to his math professor's office hours.

Prompto snapped another photo of the sky-library. He grimaced at the poor quality of the photo but kept it. He sighed and slipped his phone back into his pocket. He wasn’t going to make it very far in the photography program if he was using a shitty phone camera. With a sigh, he looked around, directionless.

His breath hitched in his throat as he caught a glimpse of the vicious boy that destroyed his camera. Prompto quickly ducked into the library, heart pounding. He hoped the boy hadn’t caught sight of him.

After 5 minutes of no boy and no sharp objects pointed at his chest, Prompto allowed himself to relax. For all the time he had spent snapping photos of and around the library, he had never been inside. It had high ceilings and rich carpeting. Pods of tables and chairs and couches and loveseats were spaced evenly across the floor. Prompto picked his way across the room when a sign caught his eye.

“Crown University Employment Office”. It was almost a godsend, and he nearly tripped over someone’s backpack in his haste to get to the door. He hesitated a few inches from the door, but desperation made him turn the knob and step into the office.

A secretary sat behind a desk, tapping notes onto a computer. She glanced up at Prompto and smiled warmly. “Hello. Can I help you?” She asked.

Prompto swallowed back his nervousness and stammered, “I, uh… I want to apply. For a job.” He paused before adding, “Please.”

The secretary nodded and shifted over to a pile of folders. “What area are you looking to be employed in? There are several positions open in food services, campus safety, and the library.” She said.

“Literally anything that doesn’t involve cooking or bugs.” Prompto said.

The secretary laughed and handed him a stack of applications. “Turn these in sooner for a better chance at getting a job.”

Prompto took them with thanks. He was about to leave when he paused, “Can I just do it all now and turn it in when I’m done?” He asked.

“I see no problem with that.” The secretary shrugged and turned back to her work.

Prompto hunched over the resumés and filled them out, pencil scritching over paper and clacking keys filling the silence. It was probably three hours later than he finished filling out all the forms and handed them to the secretary, who accepted them with a nod.

“Good luck!” She called as he exited the room with a relieved sigh. All there was left to do was wait and pray someone took pity on him.

 

* * *

 

Noctis’ day could have gone worse. He had done his best to juggle his own comfort level with his father’s advice and found it wearisome, but it seemed that his classmates were starting to understand that maybe they were gawking a little too much and started putting their focus towards the professor, who seemed relieved at the change of pace. He even said goodbye to his table mate, who seemed surprised but not totally awestruck.

He walked down the pathway by the library, checking the time on his phone. Iggy wanted to meet him at his room for a tutor session, since Noctis was finding the math class he was required to take more difficult than anticipated.

He saw a darting movement out of the corner of his eye and turned. The blond reporter was ducking into the library. Noctis was too tired to care that the reporter was still hanging around. Besides, it was technically public property. And until the reporter made a move, Noctis couldn’t really do anything. He sighed and continued walking towards his dorm where Ignis was waiting for him.

Two hours later, Noctis remained convinced that Ignis was dedicated to the idea that math should be done in the most convoluted way possible. While he might have been a decent mathematician, a good teacher he was not. This was the third time in as many weeks that Ignis had tried to impart the basics of statistics onto him, but each time, it fell short.

Eventually, Noct realized that perhaps Ignis wasn’t the best tutor, and perhaps visiting his professor’s office hours were the best bet. He  thanked Ignis for his time but explained his thinking. Ignis accepted Noctis’ thanks with a bow and helped him pack his bag.

His professor’s office hours started in about fifteen minutes, and it would take at least ten to walk from his dorm to the office building. Just as he was exiting the dorm, he ran into an (unfortunately) familiar face: the blond reporter.

The blond reported took in Noctis’ appearance, his eyes widened, and he dashed inside the dorm building and up the staircase quicker than Noctis expected.

Noctis furrowed his eyebrows. He had started seeing the blond reporter everywhere lately. Mostly in the library, but also just wandering around campus taking pictures on his phone. So maybe he wasn’t reporting on Noctis. Maybe he was there for something else. Perhaps his story was in this very dorm room. Shaking his head, Noctis pushed the blond from his thoughts and continued his quick pace towards the office buildings.

 

* * *

 

It had been nearly a week before Prompto heard back from any employer. He jumped at the first opportunity and was quickly trained as a librarian. It was a fairly simple job, and one that paid fairly well while being inactive enough for him to do some of his homework on the job. Maybe he _didn’t_ have to starve himself to afford a new camera before he graduated.

Though his grades probably weren’t going to last that long.

Just after a month, he was rocking a D average and getting feedback, “Out of focus”, “Unprofessional”, and “Looks like it was taken with a cheap phone camera”. The latter of which was true, but still hurt.

He had hidden the fact that he no longer had his good-quality camera from his professors for fear of getting kicked out of the photography program, but unless something changed, he was going to get kicked out anyway.

He had just finished up a run around the campus to ease his nerves for what he needed to do. He had to talk to his professors and explain what was going on. As he got to the entrance to the dorm building, the vicious kid was just leaving. They locked eyes, and the kid’s threat echoed inside his head.

Prompto practically sprinted through the door and up the staircase, taking three steps at a time for four solid flights. He paused on his floor, panting heavily. He was terrified that the kid would be waiting for him when he came down, but thoughts of getting kicked out of college gave him more anxiety than the fear of dying at the hands of a murderous teenager, so he gathered his destroyed camera as proof and set off down the stairs.

Miraculously, the kid was _not_ waiting to assassinate him outside the building. Or on his way to the professor offices. He let himself relax as he paused in front of the doorway of his Elements professor’s door. The sign said she was in, so Prompto knocked.

Her voice floated from behind the door, calling for him to enter, which he did, nervously. She was sitting at a desk, facing the door. “Ah!” Her face softened. “Prompto. Just the photographer I wanted to see.” Her voice was kind.

“Ah...hi….” He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

The professor motioned for Prompto to sit down in a comfortable chair facing her desk. He sat down quickly, rubbing his camera bag apprehensively. She cleared her throat, “So, I imagine you want to talk about your grades?” She paused, glancing up to see Prompto nodding. “Well, your portfolio seems to be fairly good, up until you started college. From there, it seems to lose quality. Now, it usually goes the other way, so there must be something going on. Is it anything I can help with?”

Her kindness nearly brought Prompto to tears. Maybe it did. He was so nervous that he felt numb. “Um… maybe? I-I think?” He took a calming breath and continued, opening his camera bag with shaky hands. “M-my camera was d-destroyed by…. Someone.”

He showed the professor his camera and she gasped. “What happened to it?” She asked. “How have you been taking photos?”

“I- I’ve been using my... my phone.” He could feel his voice raising in volume from desperation and anxiety but didn’t even bother to control it. If other people heard, well, screw them.

“It- It happened, like three weeks ago? Um, well, for your, uh, contrast...thing. S-so I was walking through this little garden thing and saw this kid wearing black clothes sitting on a white marble fountain with white flowers and white bushes in the background. So I thought, ‘oh, what a lovely coincidence! I’ll ask him for a picture!’ but when I did, he got super pissed and threw it into the fountain and then stabbed it! I got a job to buy a new camera, but I still just don’t have enough for one yet!” Prompto’s voice was raised almost hysterically, and tears were definitely streaming down his face.

There was a muffled _thunk_ from the hallway, but Prompto ignored it as his professor asked, “What kind-”

“Holy shit, it’s you.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis and Prompto finally talk about "the incident"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is pretty short. Finals week is next week, and I'm teaching two lessons by Friday, so things are a little bit hectic, but I figured you all would want the next chapter! It was a lot of fun to write, so I hope you enjoy!

Prompto whirled around at the hauntingly familiar voice behind him. “What the-” Prompto jumped to his feet when he saw the familiar face of the kid who had destroyed his camera. “Holy shit, it’s you!” He was torn between anger and fear, but before he could decide on just one emotion, his professor bowed.

“Your Highness.” She said. As she straightened, she looked from Prompto to the kid meaningfully.

Prompto looked at the kid again. “Y-your… Wait, what?” Confusion wiped away both anger and fear as he struggled to understand what was going on.

Before anyone could speak again, a large, heavily-muscled man walked up behind the kid. “What’s going on, Prince Noctis?” The man’s voice was gravelly, and a scar over his left eye showed he wasn’t afraid to get into a fight if the opportunity arose.

Prompto took a halting step back as realization dawned on him. “You- you’re a _prince_? Wh-wh… ah, shit.” He whispered to himself, running a hand through his hair.

The prince waved off the big man with a dismissive hand, which made Prompto feel marginally better. “I apologize for my… um… overreaction.” The prince said, face flushing slightly, “It’s-” He glanced around and noticed they had gathered an audience. He reddened even more and lowered his voice. “Do you mind if we make this more private?” He asked Prompto.

Without even waiting to be asked, the professor got to her feet. “You can use my office. I’m sure your bodyguard over there will make sure people stay away. I’m going to need some coffee.” She said.

The prince nodded his thanks and stepped further into the office, closing the door behind him. Prompto took an unconscious step back.

“So, um…” The prince looked about as anxious and awkward as Prompto felt. “I… I’m not good with people.” He said. Prompto barely bit back a snort and a wry comment as the prince continued, “Since I was little, I’ve been everywhere: newspapers, blogs, radio stations, all of the headlines have been focused on me. Did you know, for my middle school graduation, more than half the seats were filled with the media?” He paused, waiting for Prompto to respond.

“Ah, no. I’m not from around here… so…uh, no.” He replied.

“Well, it’s true. And… And I guess I thought the reporters had followed me to college. I thought you were reporting on me, and I… I just...I saw red. I felt really bad afterwards, but, well, the damage had been done, and I thought you deserved it. For taking away my privacy.”

“Yeah, well,thanks to you, I’m failing two of my classes, _asshole_!” Prompto didn’t know where this burst of anger came from, but he quickly shut it down. “I mean, I-I- I’m sorry, I d-didn’t mean- I-”

Noctis’ face froze for a second before bursting into genuine laughter. “You know, no one’s ever called me an asshole before.” He said with a slight grin.

Prompto’s heart stopped beating out of his chest and settled on a more regular rhythm. He forced a smile on his own face and found it less difficult than he thought. “Yeah? Well maybe not to your face.” He laughed lightly, hoping that this was still in line with the prince’s sense of humor.

The prince’s snort said that it was, and Prompto relaxed.

“Well,” Noctis said through giggles, “to be fair, no one really talks _to_ me, just _at_ me.” His face froze as he realized he had just revealed an insecurity he had never told to anyone else. Prompto looked at him with what might be called warmth, a surprising thing considering how furious he must be at Noct for single handedly ruining his first month at college.

Noctis quickly changed the subject, “So, if you need a new camera, I suppose it should be up to me to buy you a new one, eh?” He asked, face flushing from embarrassment.

Prompto’s eyes practically shone. “I mean, I know it’s pretty much the least you could do, but I still appreciate it.” Relief washed over him at the prince’s apology.

“C’mon. Iggy’ll drive us to the store.” The prince clapped Prompto’s shoulder, beckoning him to follow. As Prompto obeyed, the prince held out his hand, “I’m Noctis, by the way. But you can call me Noct.”

Prompto took Noctis’ hand uncertainly. “H-Hi. I’m Prompto. A-Argentum. Nice to formally meet you.” He said. Noctis’ hand was, warm and comforting in his grasp. Prompto almost didn’t want to let go.

“Okay, Prompto, let’s go find you a new camera.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis and Prompto go camera shopping and manage to bond

“Iggy”, or Ignis, as he introduced himself, was a well-dressed man who looked a few years older than them, but acted a few decades older. He noted Prompto’s presence with little more than a raised eyebrow and short introduction.

Ignis opened the door for Noctis and Prompto to climb in. Prompto felt a little awkward having someone open and close his doors for him, but he tried to act as aloof as Noctis. It didn’t really work.

“Everybody buckled up?” Ignis looked at them in the rearview mirror.

“Yeah, yeah.” Noctis said with a wave of his hand.

Prompto fumbled to buckle his seatbelt. “Y-yup!” He answered.

The ride to the store was very awkward. Ignis made it perfectly clear that he was just the chauffeur, so he wasn’t a source of chatter. And Noctis was clearly worse at socializing than Prompto was, if that was even possible.

“S-so….” Noctis started slowly, “You said you’re not from around here? Where are you from?”

Prompto debated whether or not he should mention his real hometown, but already the silence was stretching out between them a bit too long. “Um, just southwest of Gralea.”

“Oh, so you’re from Niflheim.” Noctis didn’t seem disturbed by the fact. “That’s probably why you didn’t recognize me.” He said.

“Ah, yeah.”

“So why are you going to college in Lucis? Doesn’t Niflheim have any good colleges?” Noctis cocked his head to the side.

“Well, I mean, yeah, but Crown University had the best art major program out of any of Niflheim’s, and I got some good scholarships here.” Prompto explained, rubbing his hands together nervously. Even though Lucis and Niflheim were at peace and had been for years, each country was rightfully suspicious of the other.

Noctis seemed to accept his explanation readily and turned to look out the window. His eyes glazed over, and it was clear that he was mentally a ways away. Prompto turned to look out his own window. He hadn’t seen much of Lucis outside of the train ride from Niflheim, but its capital was fairly beautiful. The city could be best described as “ethereal goth”, with dark spires and airy walkways mixing together. Prompto had to admit, though he did love his hometown, Insomnia definitely fit his aesthetic better.

It didn’t take long for them to arrive at an electronics store. Lucis was hardly the most technologically savvy country compared to Niflheim (though their cars were pretty nice), but Prompto had to admit: this store had a great selection of pretty much everything Prompto would ever need.

He wandered over to the cameras, and Noctis followed behind him, playing a game on his phone. Prompto tried not to be too bothered by the prince’s inattention. After all, he was doing Prompto a favor. But Prompto longed to just talk to him, to communicate with someone. He sighed and turned to the line of cameras.

He picked up a camera that was ever-so-slightly nicer than the one he had previously. As long as the prince was paying for it, might as well try to get the best version he could while not forcing him to pay for something more expensive than necessary.

Noctis glanced up, putting his phone back in his pocket. From his slightly sour expression, Prompto assumed he had lost the game he had been playing. “Is that the one you want?” He asked, leaning in to look at it closer.

Prompto nodded. “Yeah, it’s pretty much the same as the one I used to have, so this should work.” He replied, handing it over to Noctis for inspection.

“But this one looks so much nicer.” Noctis furrowed his eyebrows, picking up a higher-end camera nearly four times the cost of Prompto’s original camera.

“W-well, yeah, it is, but it’s also really expensive. I don’t want you to feel like you have to do this for me. All I really need is a replacement camera.”

With a upturned eyebrows, Noctis grabbed Prompto’s shoulders comfortingly.  “Look,” he started. It felt right, this kind of casual contact, and he felt his stress lessen slightly as he continued, “I’m doing this because I want to. You’re not pressuring me into anything. Literally the opposite. I-” He stopped short, trying to organize his thoughts in a coherent manner befitting a prince before giving up. “I want you to be happy, okay?”

Feelings Prompto couldn’t begin to describe rushed through him as a blush creeped over his face. He wanted to grab the prince’s hand and just hold it for hours, but that was way too forward for him. Instead, he nodded, waiting for Noctis to let go of his own accord. “Thanks. I really appreciate it. Like, really appreciate it.” He could feel tears starting to form in the corners on his eyes, and he wiped them away quickly.

Noctis looked taken aback at Prompto’s sudden expression of emotion and pulled back. “I-I’m sorry, I…I didn’t mean to make you cry.” He trailed off with a sigh, running his hands through his hair anxiously, wondering how he could express himself in a way that didn’t make him seem like a total dolt. “I-I told you I’m bad with people.”

Waving his hands furiously, Prompto assured him, “No, I’m not sad. I’m happy!”

His grin melted away Noct’s anxiety, and Noctis was overcome with a desire to hug Prompto, but he bit it back sharply. “Oh, okay. Um, I-I’m glad. ...that you’re glad.” He said, clenching his fists behind his back to keep them from grabbing Prompto’s.

“So…” Prompto grabbed the camera that Noctis had pointed out. “Are you ready to go?” He asked.

Noctis nodded a few times and lead the way to the front of the store, where a tired-looking employee checked out the camera. They looked from Noctis to Prompto, unimpressed, as they said, “The total is 300,000 gil. Cash or credit?”

“Um, credit.” Noctis replied, handing over a slim gold card.

The cashier took it and slid it into the machine. A minute later, Prompto and Noctis were heading to the car, 300,000 gil poorer, but one incredibly nice camera richer. Ignis opened the door for them as they slid in, closing it once they were both settled in their seats.

“Back to your dorms?” In the rearview mirror, Ignis looked at Noctis, who looked at Prompto, who shrugged. “Very well.” Ignis turned out of the parking lot and down the street.

As if suddenly realizing everything that had happened to him, Prompto sat back in the seat, staring at the roof of the car in disbelief. The prince of Lucis had just bought him a new camera after destroying his old one and threatening his life. It sounded like something out of a bad T.V. show or something. But it was undeniably real.

“Say…” The prince broke the silence stretching between them with quiet hesitation. “I-If you want, You can come to my dorm to hang out. Or whatever. I have some leftover pastries that Iggy made.” He said, redness creeping through his cheeks.

Prompto almost immediately said no just on principle. Who was he to befriend a prince? But he desperately wanted to get to know Noctis more. Below his cautious and almost aloof appearance, he seemed so interesting.

“Sure! And then maybe tomorrow, I could bother you so I could redo some photo shoots for class, since the last time you kinda tried to kill me.” Prompto said hopefully.

Noctis smiled, and gave an adorable little bow. “It would be my pleasure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the interest in this fic, fam! This was one of the first fics (chronologically) I wrote in more than a year, so it's a little bit rusty, but I figured that I should get it out in the open. I hope you all enjoyed it!


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